WVU to Big 12; what's next for Big East

West Virginia has accepted an offer to join the Big 12 Conference, college football industry sources told CBSSports.com Friday.

The Mountaineers informed the Big East Friday morning that they were leaving the league. The Big 12 is expected to officially announce the invitation later today.

The Big 12's board of directors voted Friday morning and chose West Virginia over Louisville. The Big 12 will stay at 10 schools, a source said.

On Tuesday, West Virginia had received a verbal offer to join the Big 12, but then the league put the Mountaineers on hold because the league’s board of directors wanted to perform “due diligence.”

The league was split between adding West Virginia or Louisville to replace Missouri, which is expected to leave the league for the SEC.

"The Big 12 Presidents and Chancellors are excited to welcome another outstanding institution to the Conference," said Burns Hargis, Chair of the Big 12 Board of Directors. "The addition of West Virginia, while expanding the reach of the Big 12, brings an impressive institution with esteemed academics and a proud athletic tradition into the Conference. This is another step in building a strong foundation for the future of the Big 12."

"The Big 12 is a perfect fit for West Virginia University," said WVU President Dr. James P. Clements. "It is a strong conference that, like WVU, values quality academic and athletic programs, and has a great tradition of success. This is a very exciting time for WVU and Mountaineer nation. I am confident that the future of WVU athletics has never been more promising."

Missouri still hasn’t officially left the Big 12. The Tigers are still negotiating an exit fee to leave the league. The SEC’s Digital Network, an official website of the SEC, accidentally posted a story Thursday night that Missouri would join the SEC on July 1, 2012.

West Virginia will join the Big 12 in 2012-13, the Big 12 announced. Missouri is expected to join the SEC next season. West Virginia will have to pay a $5 million exit fee. That figure would have been $10 million if the Mountaineers would have informed the league after Navy or Air Force joined the league, which they have not.

West Virginia is the latest team to announce it's leaving the Big East Conference. Pittsburgh and Syracuse are headed to the ACC and Big East commissioner John Marinatto has said both schools would not be able to leave until July 1, 2014.

TCU, which was scheduled to join the Big East next season, will join the Big 12 and begin play next season. The Horned Frogs were not bound by the 27-month requirement since they left the Big East before they officially joined.

With the Big 12 only taking West Virginia - and not taking Louisville as well - the Big East’s chances of retaining its BCS automatic qualifying status in 2014 is greatly improved.

The Big East is seeking a 12-team football league and is expected to issue invitations to Boise State, Air Force, Navy, Houston, SMU and Central Florida. That would increase the football membership to 11 teams.

On Friday morning, UCF's board of trustees voted unanimously to give UCF President John Hitt the authority to make decisions about conference affiliation. A day earlier, Houston's board of regents granted President Renu Khator the authority for the Cougars to change conferences. UCF and Houston are both currently in Conference USA.

"We appreciate the effort John Marinatto is putting forth stabilizing the Big East," Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk said Friday morning. "We're in the bullpen watching this unfold, doing our due diligence waiting for the dust to settle. When it does, we'll decide what is best for Navy."

With the loss of West Virginia, the Big East would need a 12th member. Sources have told CBSSports.com that the Big East’s potential Western schools are in favor of adding BYU. It’s unknown if the Cougars would be interested, but the fact the Big 12 will stay at 10 schools may increase BYU's chances of joining the Big East as a football-only member.

Temple also is a very strong candidate as the 12th member.

The Big East could extend official invitations next week. The league’s presidents are scheduled to meet with Marinatto in Philadelphia on Tuesday.

WVU to Big 12; what's next for Big East

College Sports is a free enterprise system. If the fans don’t want realignment stop going to the game and don’t watch it on TV. But the fans do want realignment. They want to see their team play the best teams each and every year. Maybe the colleges who do not put the best product or team on the field are the problem. Remember the fans will watch the best product; TV will pay for the best product that is a fact. So next time you see realignment remember this is the benefit of free enterprise and socialism is the best way not to see the best product on the field….

Since: Sep 27, 2006

Posted on: October 30, 2011 1:11 pm

WVU to Big 12; what's next for Big East

Hick? Stew, I'd rather be referred to a redneck. Thanks bud. Later man.

stewmustgo
Since: Sep 20, 2008

Posted on: October 29, 2011 10:07 pm

This comment has been removed.

Post Deleted by Administrator

Since: Sep 27, 2006

Posted on: October 29, 2011 11:16 am

WVU to Big 12; what's next for Big East

Go back to WVa you moron (Btw, to rest of you out there, I like 99% of the WVAer's). So you moved to NC and got a fetish with that baby blue color out of Chapel Hole? Gaywad.

There are plenty of ECU fans throughout NC. If you weren't stuck in the Southwestern part of the state, you'd see 'em travel up I-40/I-85 on gameday. And yes we had a good showing at Bank of America agiainst the Gamecocks douchebag. I was there and would have pissed on you if I saw in Uptown.

Typical tarhole though, thinks the universe revolves around you.

stewmustgo
Since: Sep 20, 2008

Posted on: October 29, 2011 12:53 am

This comment has been removed.

Post Deleted by Administrator

Since: Sep 27, 2006

Posted on: October 29, 2011 12:22 am

WVU to Big 12; what's next for Big East

The last time we played Kensucky? We choked to a subpar SEC, coat tail riding team that does nothing to help their conference in football except get some easy wins. I was really suprised with all that revenue you guys get from the SEC that, that was the best you guys could put on the field. You guys are like the Dookies in the ACC. you're there for one reason, the round ball.

The reason the the Little East doesn't want us? Don't know. I guess there are not enough TV sets located around Greenville, NC.

Our record against some of the other teams they are said to be inviting:

Biose 1 & 0 UCF 8 & 2Houston 6 & 5Temple 8 & 3SMU 2 & 2

We have a 50k seat Stadium AND we sell it out.

We are with in 1.5 hours of Raleigh, the 2nd biggest city in NC. And a Couple of hours from the fertile recruiting grounds of the Tide Water, Va. are.

We Travel to Bowl games. Been to 5 in a row.

Won the C-USA Championship 2 out of the 3 last years.

Since: Dec 10, 2006

Posted on: October 28, 2011 11:58 pm

Big Least turned up their nose at ECU...

...after they publicly made it known that they wanted to join so what does that say? And what happened the last time Kentucky played ECU? Ya, you remember ;) Still bitter I see.

Since: Oct 28, 2011

Posted on: October 28, 2011 11:02 pm

WVU to Big 12; what's next for Big East

I am so tired of the trash calling us hicks, what do you do for a living, how much do you make a year. What makes you so able to call us hicks. Where is your family from. How much land do you own. Boy get a life and a job, where did you play football at?

Since: Oct 28, 2011

Posted on: October 28, 2011 10:53 pm

WVU to Big 12; what's next for Big East

What do you care, you are just a troll. Hope you Bucks get the crap beat out of you on Saturday, every Saturday. I lived in Columbus, OH for 18 years and couldn't stand it.

Since: Sep 27, 2006

Posted on: October 28, 2011 5:52 pm

WVU to Big 12; what's next for Big East

The Big lEast's BCS/AQ status is over. 3 of the five leftover teams were in Conference USA less than 10 years ago and UConn is still pretty new in Div I (FBS). Rutgers has only been good a couple times the past few decades. With the new proposed Big East, you basically have a glorified MWC/WAC/ConfUSA. The BE can't maintain its AQ status based on its bball reputation which is now depleted greatly. I would be very cautious about joining until after things calm down with the realignment rumor madness.

Hey, maybe Kentucky would join the new glorified MWC/WAC/CUSA to help... ...Damn, football wise that would just make the conference worse. Nevermind.